Wake Forest
If you weren’t paying attention, you might have missed Wake Forest playing some decent football during the 2nd half of last season. They nearly beat Boston College, were competitive against Clemson, beat Virginia Tech, and in the final week of the season went into the 4th qtr with Duke. Head Coach Dave Clawson never let his team quit during the season, and some gains were made. Wake Forest is a major rebuilding job, but could they spring a couple of upsets this year?

Will Go 6-6 (2-6) if:
The offensive line can offer any sort of protection to QB John Wolford. Wake Forest’s offensive line last year was one of the worst I’ve seen in the ACC. They struggled to block anyone especially early in the year. There’s a reason the Deacs rushed for less than 40 yards a game. Wolford showed some ability, but he’s needs time. The defense is sneaky pretty good, and Brandon Chubb is one of the most underrated linebackers in the country.

The opening 4 games give Wake Forest a chance at a 3-1 or 4-0 start. They face Elon, Syracuse, Army and Indiana. Squeeze in a couple of more wins, and Dave Clawson is ACC coach of the year.

Will Go 2-10 (0-8) if:
The defense slips. Remember last season Wake Forest had Kevin Johnson, a 1st Round NFL corner, roaming the secondary. Issues with the front 4 sometimes could be overcome by solid corner play Johnson and Merrill Noel another NFL caliber corner that is no longer with Wake Forest. The offense will likely still struggle, and there’s a big talent gap between Wake Forest and most of the ACC Atlantic.

Syracuse is the one ACC opponent with somewhat similar talent to Wake Forest, and that game is on the road. Boston College may take a step back and it is one the road too. There’s just aren’t many opportunities for wins, and the Deacs could go winless in the ACC this year.